Ethel Pauline Spalding

Monday

Dec 31, 2012 at 5:20 PMDec 31, 2012 at 5:22 PM

Ethel Pauline SpaldingMonroe City, Mo.

Ethel Pauline Spalding died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, December 30, 2012, at the Salt River Community Care, in Shelbina, Mo. She was born February 28, 1912, in Batchtown, IL to John Clarence and Anna Maria Sackman Delonay. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at Holy Rosary Catholic Church on Saturday, January 5, 2013, at noon with interment to follow at Holy Rosary Cemetery, Monroe City, MO. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until time of Mass at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Yager Kendrick Funeral Home in Monroe City.Ethel’s parents moved during her lifetime, living in Clarksville and Louisiana, Mo. before moving to Monroe City so their children could receive a Catholic education. J.C. and Anna owned and operated the Joy Theater in Monroe City and eventually purchased the New Janus Theater in Shelbina. Ethel frequently took the train from Monroe City to open the theater in Shelbina. She sold tickets then closed up taking the train back home, arriving at midnight with the receipts. Her father met her at the train station. Ethel was fourteen years old. In 1929, she graduated Valedictorian of her class from Holy Rosary High School. She credits her education, working at the picture show where documentaries were the norm as well as strict guidance from the Dominican Nuns at Holy Rosary School. On November 10, 1938, Ethel married David Alfred Spalding at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. They had nine children: Dolores Ann (Danny) Hill, Maryland Heights, MO; Rosemary (Jim) Duesterhaus, Quincy, IL; Elizabeth Jeanne Johnson, Monroe City; Michael (Sharon Lawrence) Spalding, O’Fallon, MO; Richard Wayne Spalding (Deceased July 27, 1952); Vincent (Karon Sellers) Spalding, St. Charles, MO; James (Paula Harris) Spalding, St. Peters, MO; Teresa (Vern) Reece, Stockton, MO; and Nancy Spalding, St. Peters, MO. Ethel and Dave were the grandparents of JoAnne (Hill) Kearney and husband John of O’Fallon, MO; Ronald Hill and wife Debbie, O’Fallon, MO; Julie (Hill) Aydt and husband Joseph of Chesterfield, MO; Ed Duesterhaus and wife Terry, Quincy, IL; Susan Duesterhaus and fiance Vern Utters, Quincy, IL; Aaron Eugene Spalding (Deceased January 18, 2005); Laura (Shore) Gramlich and husband Jody, Boonville, MO; Sarah Spalding, St. Peters, MO; Debbie (Spalding) Landis, Arnold, MO; Dawn (Spalding) Gross and husband Terry, St. Charles, MO; Heather (Spalding) Tulk and husband Terry of O’Fallon, MO; Patrick Spalding and wife Julie, St. Charles, MO; Brian Spalding and wife Windy of O’Fallon, MO; David Spalding, St. Charles, MO; Kelly (Spalding) Christen and husband Shannon, St. Peters, MO; Robyn Spalding and fiancé Michael Pelz, Chicago, IL; and Lloyd D. Reece, St. Peters, MO. Ethel is survived by 21 great-grandchildren, one nephew, Tom Miskell and wife Regina, Monroe City; and one niece, Susan Wachter and husband John, Lawrence, KS. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins of Dave Spalding, many residing in the Monroe City area.Ethel was preceded in death by her parents, J.C. and Anna Delonay; her husband, David in 1995; her son, Richard Wayne; her son-in-law, James S. Johnson; her grandson, Aaron Eugene; one grandson-in-law, Randall Lee Ernst; her brother John Albert Delonay; her sister and brother-in-law, Alice and Joseph Miskell, Monroe City; her sister Irma and Jasper W. Smith, Pittsburg, KS; and her nephew John J. Miskell, Jersey City, New Jersey. Ethel was a very gracious lady, loved by all her and Dave’s family. She never sent a greeting card without a handwritten note inside. She enjoyed reading, working crossword puzzles, listening to the radio and watching television. She was notorious in St. Charles for making homemade soup, bread and pies for her elderly and not so elderly neighbors. Memorials may be made to Holy Rosary School Building Fund, Monroe City Sheltered Workshop or Salt River Community Care Special Programs, in care of Yager-Kendrick Funeral Home, 545 Stoddard Street, Monroe City, MO 63456.Online condolences may be left at www.yagerkendrickfh.com